Hilarious and utterly charming
10/10
Author: jogerrit from United States
25 May 2011

I saw this film on a plane flight, not knowing what to expect. I ended up laughing loudly so often that I'm sure the other passengers were annoyed with me. It has tons of references to the writing life, so if you've ever written a novel, tried to write a novel, or hope to write a novel, you'll love the bits about what it's like to be a novelist, either failed or successful.

Although the plot as described features the seductive young journalist returning to her native village to sell her house, I think the real heart of the story focuses on the bestselling crime novelist and his much-beleaguered and under-appreciated wife who is slowly coming to the realization that her husband is a cad. It's the eventual sense of justice about this marriage that really offers the viewer the fine sense of satisfaction at the end.

The secondary characters are a hoot, from the other writers at the farmhouse retreat to the bratty schoolgirls to the bonkers rock star. Every performance is a star turn. And I must give special kudos to the actress who plays the crime writer's wife -- she's utterly believable as the betrayed spouse.

Best Film Iv seen in Ages!
10/10
Author: melina-a from United Kingdom
20 September 2010

Thought this film was brilliant. Loved the Plot and the fact that it was an English film with a practically entire English cast, very funny and a lovely little Rom Com. Definitely a MUST see! Gemma Arteton was amazing as an actress again, as were the rest of the cast. I thought the 'typical' English country village setting was lovely and appropriate and not 'dribble' at all as some would say on the reviews.

All in all it would seem that those who say it is a rubbish film are in their middle ages and clearly do not understand the essence of a good film, unlike the younger generation such as myself. Honestly a brilliant film by the BBC, hopefully there will be more of this kind to follow!

Roger Allam : Nicholas Hardiment (Excellent acteur)

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Tamara Drewe
10/10
Author: cultfilmfan from Canada
20 January 2011

Tamara Drewe is based upon the graphic novel of the same name by Posy Simmonds. The film takes Thomas Hardy's fourth novel entitled Far from the Madding Crowd, which was written in 1874 and gives it a modern day setting and twist. Just briefly the film deals with a bunch of writers staying in the Dorset village of Ewedown, many because this is where Thomas Hardy was from and at least one of these writers is writing a book about Thomas Hardy. The writers are staying and being hosted by Beth Hardiment and her author husband, Nicholas. Because they live in this tiny village, Beth does most of the work and upkeep of the place and provides meals and clean lodgings to the guests, while Nicholas works on his novels and gets into other trouble which you will see when you see the movie.

Also new in town, or should I say returning is a young woman named Tamara Drewe, who used to live in this village and then disappeared for awhile and now comes back with a new nose job and a body that gathers the attention of most of the men in the village. Some other subplots involve the antics of two teenage school girls who create quite a bit of trouble for the main characters in the film and also a groundskeeper named Andy, who helps Beth take care of her place and who also has always had a bit of a crush on Tamara. I am leaving out most if not all of the juicy details and crises that arrive in the film as to not spoil anything because this film is so involving and captivating that it would be inconsiderate of me to give them away. I personally thought Tamara Drewe was a fantastic film.

I have never read Far from the Madding Crowd on which the film and graphic novel of the film were based, but after doing a bit of research on it, you can definitely see where they shaped the characters and events that happen in this film from that famous novel and how they incorporated it all in here and into a modern day setting with modern day language, people and technology was what I think is a work of genius based on the screenwriter's parts as well as Posy Simmonds graphic novel (which I have not read, but must have been really well done to inspire something this good). Having read and seen a lot of the old period piece British novels and films, I do have to say that this has the style of them, in the sense that it's character study is very well done as is the importance of the location to the story and the supporting characters as well.

The film is called Tamara Drewe, and a lot of the events that go on in the film revolve around her, but to no discredit to the writers or Gemma Arterton's performance, I have to say that Tamara is probably the least interesting character out of the whole bunch. The supporting characters bring so many important things to the film here, whether it be humorous, evil or even mischievous and even some romance and they are so well written and fascinating to watch that I was thoroughly enjoying watching their everyday lives and antics as the film progressed. The acting here is all terrific as well. Everyone does a stellar job, but the performance I really want to single out and draw attention to is Jessica Barden, who in the film plays Jody Long an egocentric and fairly typical teenager who sets major problems for the characters in the film.

She is obnoxious, cruel, full of herself and at the same time is also really funny and her performance is thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining to watch and what the writers and director were trying to convey through this character she portrays beautifully with her performance and more or less steals the show, but the other actors are great too. I loved how involving this film was by drawing you in and keeping your attention and actually giving you characters that you will hate, like and even care for. It is so like an 18th century novel in that way because the characters are all so good here and everything plays out like one of those old books, but the film offers a few twists and modernizations of it's own.

I absolutely loved Tamara Drewe and I would have to call it one of the most overlooked films of 2010, but it is not too late to discover this wonderful film and I hope you the reader will do so. One of my top 10 favourites of 2010.

10/10
Author: Dr Jacques COULARDEAU from Olliergues, France
19 October 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Stephen Frears has shot a marvelous comedy with this film. A social comedy for sure about rural England. A farm transformed into a guesthouse for writers and all it means to be able to write in the peace and quiet of the countryside with only the chirping of birds and the stampeding of cows around you.  And yet the village is big enough to have a nice pub and a few other fundamental entertainments of that type, but it's true nothing else. Then he adds the writers themselves. In fact two are standing out.

The husband of the farmer's wife is a detective thriller writer, which makes the farmer's wife a writer's wife and the farmer a writer, then who is the farmer? The second one that counts is the American university professor on a sabbatical to write a book on Thomas Hardy. The first one is unfaithful by principle and his wife is as blind as mole. The second one is unmarried and as shy as an old bat. The wife of whatever he is, farmer or writer, is blind for one and is naïve for two.

Then throw into that set of stiff quibbles, and we all know why the males are stiff, a young chick from the press, Fleet Street, on a mission with a brand new surgical nose and the whole little microcosm of this world explodes, especially when she brings a rock star in the picture with a dog that hates cows. You can imagine the stampeding of males at the door of the young woman, and of the little girls who want to touch the rock star, and of the cows in the fields. There will be some victims, essentially a man and a dog but I won't tell you which man and whose dog.

But it is hilarious because it is a case of perfect English slightly black humor, and blacker does not exist. To be Shakespearian only a few boys dressed as girls and vice versa are missing, and maybe a play in the play, like some puppets playing their own string and rod story. And everything ends well with the police and a burial, with some tears and some solace, with some peace after the battle and battles to come after the respite. Good job, Mr. Frears, and see you next time.

Now, I know who she is! (3 days Screen Marathon)
10/10
Author: leplatypus from PariS
23 October 2010

I had such a peculiar friend that each time, i bought a movies card for us, i finally got to theaters alone and it's a huge load of movies that i had to digest (and review afterward!). This first choice has been easy: The movie is set in the English countryside (a favorite place for my retirement!) and it stars the actress who beckons to my attention (the last Bond movie, the awful "Clash of the titans") but without leaving her identity. Now, i got her name right: Gemma Atterton!

I would recommend this movie because it plays brilliantly with a lot of characters. And it's not easy: you got to pay attention to everyone and manage to tell interesting individual stories in a larger story. It's like a mini soap opera but told with fun and moral. Every piece is nicely oiled and you witness a real orchestrated chaos.

In addition, England is a welcomed change from America or France and i was surprised how modern that country is. The houses and farms maintain their old looks but their interiors are neat, updated. In France, well, in a little town, the people live well, as before the wars: it's old, rustic... I am sure that Stephen King would have rated this movie excellent as well, because this paradise for writers is exactly what he tells in his book "On writing".